Peoria man facing felony charge in elaborate toy theft

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) - A Peoria man faces a May 6 arraignment in connection with an elaborate toy theft operation.

Troy Koehler is facing a felony charge of second-degree trafficking in stolen property after more than $250,000 worth of Legos were found Aug. 14 in the garage of a Peoria home.

Koehler allegedly bought expensive Lego sets at a discount from shoplifters, then resold them on the internet.

Authorities say Koehler would recruit people to go into “Toys R Us” stories across the Phoenix area, steal the Legos and damage the boxes.

They would take the Legos to Koehler who reportedly would go inside the store and buy a legitimate box.

Then Koehler allegedly would use the real receipt to take back the damaged box, pocket the money and sell the stolen Legos online.